Jay Teague, a fire chief and de facto emergency manager for the city of Kenai, shares practical insights on resourcefulness, leadership, community engagement, and strategic planning in emergency management. He discusses the challenges of operating with lean staffing and limited resources, as well as the diversity of incidents he's been a part of, including natural disasters and man-made emergencies. Jay emphasizes the importance of building relationships, prioritizing needs, and being proactive in developing local resources for emergency response.

Takeaways

• Resourcefulness in emergency management
• The importance of building local resources and relationships
• How to prioritize competing tasks
• Leveraging community resources

Resources:

Emergency Management Organizational Structures, Staffing, and Capacity Study

https://www.anl.gov/dis/npac/EMStudy?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The episode delves into the world of healthcare emergency management, focusing on the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) and its role in coordinating disaster response within healthcare facilities. Chris, an RN and emergency manager, shares insights on the implementation, challenges, and scalability of HICS, emphasizing the importance of practical experience in emergency management.

Takeaways

• Healthcare emergency management involves the coordination of HICS and ICS for effective disaster response.
• Scalability in HICS allows for the adjustment of the organizational structure based on the size and complexity of the incident.

RESOURCES:

From HHS: Understanding the Hospital Incident Command System- https://files.asprtracie.hhs.gov/documents/epimn-module-2-understanding-hospital-ics.pdf

From FEMA Center for Domestic Preparedness: Hospital Incident Command System- https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/AWR-934-V7

From California Hospital Association: HICS Resources- https://calhospital.org/calhospitalprepare/hics/

Our guest is Brenda Ahlberg, Emergency Manager for the Kenai Peninsula Borough in Alaska. This episode explores her experience and insights in emergency management, focusing on the implementation of the Ready, Set, Go program in the Kenai Peninsula Borough as well as throughout the State of Alaska. Brenda shares her role, challenges faced, legislative progress, and advice for emergency managers. The program emphasizes unified messaging for evacuations and the importance of local-level emergency management.

Takeaways:

• Unified messaging for evacuations
• Local-level emergency management

Resources:

Kenai Peninsula Borough OEM- Ready, Set, Go! https://info.kpb.us

State of Alaska- SB 192

https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Journal/Pages/34?Chamber=S&Bill=SB%20192&Page=02323

International Association of Fire Chiefs- Ready, Set, Go!

https://www.iafc.org/topics-and-tools/resources/resource/ready-set-go-program

The conversation provides an in-depth exploration of the Incident Command System (ICS), covering its structure, roles, misconceptions, and practical advice for organizations. It emphasizes the importance of ICS in emergency response and its adaptability to different incident scales and types.

Takeaways

• ICS is a structured concept for organizing emergency response
• Practice and customization are key to implementing ICS effectively

The conversation delves into the origins and evolution of emergency management, covering its historical development, the roles of local, state, federal, and tribal partners, and the involvement of the private sector. It emphasizes the collaborative and people-centric nature of emergency management, highlighting its focus on protecting lives, supporting communities, and building resilience.

Takeaways

• Emergency management is a system made up of local, federal, and tribal partners, as well as private sector partners, each with defined roles and responsibilities.
• Emergency management is about people, protecting lives, supporting communities, reducing risk, and building resilience.

Cutter, S. (2025). History shows why FEMA is essential in disasters: How losing independent agency status hurt its ability to function. Retrieved from https://sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2025/08/08-convo-fema-essential.php

Eaton, A. (2023, April). New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved from https://www.unionleader.com/voices/looking_back/looking-back-the-portsmouth-fire-of-1802-devastation-and-charity/article_beaaff3b-a5b9-5712-8862-45276ea070b6.html

FEMA. (2024). National Disaster Recovery Framework .

FEMA. (2025). Local Elected and Appointed Officials Guide: Roles and Resources in Emergency Management .

FEMA. (2026). FEMA History. Retrieved from https://training.fema.gov/history.aspx#:~:text=FEMA%20can%20trace%20its%20beginnings,President%20to%20coordinate%20these%20activities.

Homeland Security. (2019). National Response Framework.

Laura Coyle, H. o. (2016). The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927. Retrieved from https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/great-mississippi-river-flood-1927

Legislatures, N. C. (2026). Legislative Oversight of Emergency Executive Powers. Retrieved from https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/legislative-oversight-of-emergency-executive-powers

NEMA, N. E. (2019). State Emergency Management Director Handbook.

What is EM?

The conversation delves into the world of emergency management, exploring the journey, challenges, and future of the profession. Dan Nelson shares insights on his transition to consulting and offers valuable advice for aspiring emergency managers. The discussion highlights the formalization and technological advancements in emergency management, as well as the identification of gaps in the profession.

Takeaways

• Emergency management as a profession
• Challenges and opportunities in emergency management

The conversation covers the understanding of tsunamis, the risk and preparedness, challenges in mitigation, the Cascadia Subduction Zone, building the tsunami tower, community engagement and education, the impact of the tsunami tower, replication and future considerations, and career advice in emergency management.

Takeaways

• Tsunami risk is a real and significant threat in the Pacific Northwest, especially in areas like the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
• Emergency management requires a proactive approach, community engagement, and a focus on mitigation and preparedness.

Chapters

• 00:00 Understanding Tsunamis
• 08:51 The Impact of the Tsunami Tower
• 22:15 Replication and Future Considerations

The conversation covers the journey of Morgan and Keith into the field of emergency management, their experiences with natural disasters, and the inspiration behind creating the podcast. It also delves into their favorite natural hazards and the plan for technical tidbits in the podcast.

Takeaways

• Early fascination with disasters led to a career in emergency management.
• Podcast creation was inspired by a shared interest in storytelling and experiences related to emergency management.